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Ski Mountaineering School - Denver - 2025

Backcountry Skiing/Splitboarding Course

Ski Mountaineering School

Acquire skills, attitudes, and awareness needed for ski mountaineering tours, such as descents in Colorado ranges, or ski traverses like the Haute Route in the Alps or the Wapta Traverse in Canada.

Contacts

Rachel Miedema
Rachel Miedema
Leader

The program is a combination of lectures and progressive field days. The goal of the course is to prepare CMC members to make the transition from skiing groomed slopes at resorts to touring the off-piste environment in the mountains. Although terrain requiring technical gear such as crampons, ice axes, ropes, etc., may be encountered during the field trips, the school will not cover glacier travel and crevasse rescue. Read on!

Prerequisites:

  • Steep ski skills (black diamond) in varied terrain and snow conditions, including ascending and descending in controlled manner. No need to be a “ripper”, but skiing in full control in all snow conditions (breakable crust, mank, wet grabby powder, perfect corn and white smoke) is important.

  • Fitness and stamina to climb/travel at 1000’/ hr and 3 mph on skis for 3000+ foot, 3-5 mile ascents.

  • Experience with traveling on skins (ski or splitboard) in mountain terrain for at least 2 full seasons including at least 1 CMC ski outing or the CMC "Introduction to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding", with instructor/leader reference.

  • AIARE avy 1 in last 5 years; CMC "Alpine Climbing School" snow travel class, or similar experience (crampon, axe and snow climbing skills/experience).

  • Current First aid or WFA cert.

Registration is by application only.  Skiers need to have all the basics for backcountry ski travel and touring solidly down prior to this class, it is an advanced mountaineering skiing course. 

Badges you will earn:

Course Requirements
Course Activity Date Availability Leader
Lecture
Course Venue TBA
Thu, Apr 3, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
1 participant
2 instructors
Rachel Miedema
Field Day (optional)
Herman Gulch Trail - Jones Pass Trail via Herman Gulch
Sat, Apr 12, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
0 participants
Rachel Miedema
Dry Gulch TH to The Citadel
Sat, Apr 26, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
2 participants
Rachel Miedema
Gray's and Torrey's Peaks
Sat, May 10, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
0 participants
Rachel Miedema
Brainard Lake Rec Area - Winter Gateway
Sat–Mon, May 24–26, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
3 participants
Rachel Miedema
Independence Pass
Fri, May 30–Sun, Jun 1, 2025
Registration closed Mar 12
2 participants
Rachel Miedema
Roster
Required Equipment

  • Modern AT or tele skiis or splitboard, with functional and comfortable boots and modern free pivot bindings, full width skins, and ski crampons. Some of these can be rented/demo-ed, but self- owned is expected before end of season for familiarity, efficiency, and safety in the later bigger outings.

  • Modern 3- antenna Beacon, shovel and probe, and know how to use them. Ice axe and boot and ski crampons, and the skills to use them properly

  • Other gear will be communicated during classes
Course Materials

There are no materials for this course.